


Deliverance

by hordecatra



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Role Reversal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-09-28 11:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17182007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hordecatra/pseuds/hordecatra
Summary: When Catra discovers an ancient sword in the Whispering Woods, she is tasked with delivering it to Etheria's destined hero: She-Ra. The only problem is, she's met with fierce resistance; Adora refuses turn her back on the Horde after she's worked so hard to earn her keep.





	1. Shadows

“You should’ve seen your face,” said Catra, bearing a toothy grin. Adora didn’t look amused in the slightest, her expression steely, but it was impossible to miss the way the corner of her lip perked up as her friend’s laughter filled the locker room. “You were like, ‘Ah, no!  _Betrayal!’”_

Training had always been quite entertaining for that very reason; she'd had her own way of going about it from the beginning, a style which often clashed with the uniformity of her team. And while it earned her a fair bit of annoyance from the others, Catra always managed to get her job done one way or another, and that was all that really mattered, right? Not to mention, it opened up plenty of opportunities for teasing; the memory of Adora hanging lamely from her staff brought about more giggling.

As she spoke, Catra grasped wildly at her surroundings before falling dramatically to the ground with a thud.

"Come on, Catra," Adora sighed, exasperation coloring her voice. "We're senior cadets now. I can't believe you're still pulling such childish, immature — is that a mouse?!"

She was on her feet before Adora even finished. "What? Where?!" Catra bristled as she surveyed the room intently, flexing her claws. Her excitement turned into irritation when her demand was met with Adora's own wry laughter.

"Are you ever going to not fall for that?"

"I don't know," Catra shot back with a roll of her eyes. "Are you ever going to let it go? That was one time!"

"I know." Adora crossed her arms as she responded, leaning back against the lockers. Catra was quick to follow suit, flashing her a half smile. "But for some reason it's always funny."

" _Adora,_ " came a new voice.

Catra tensed up reflexively, and Adora hastily stood up straight, she noticed out of the corner of her eye. Catra barely managed to suppress a scowl as she did so. She didn’t move as Shadow Weaver approached, but her friend dutifully stepped forward and saluted.

“Shadow Weaver,” Adora said crisply.

“You have done well,” the masked woman said, and though her face was entirely concealed, Catra could easily visualize the ugly smile beneath it. Her gaze was trained only on Adora, and Catra could feel herself fading into the background as they spoke. “You’ve completed your training course in record time.” She sounded animated, enthusiastic. The approval was short-lived, though, seeming to melt away as Adora placed an arm on Catra’s shoulder and gestured to the other.

“Uh, well, that wasn’t just me, you know. Catra did, too.”

Her cheeks grew warm as Shadow Weaver finally looked directly at her. She lowered her bristling tail in spite of herself.

“Ah, yes,” said Shadow Weaver, this time in a rather flat tone. “How someone as unmotivated as _you_  completed the course in that time, I’ll never know.”

Frustration, _shame_ , it simmered beneath the surface as Catra looked away, forcing a sardonic smile. Her eyes burned with thinly veiled indignation. “Always serving up those pep talks, huh, Shadow Weaver?”

“Silence!”

Only then did she stand straighter. 

“Do not be flippant with me, cadet.” 

The room darkened as their superior spoke, her voice low and sharp. Tendrils of shadow crept toward Catra, cradling her cheek and threatening to engulf her entirely. Her heart started to pound, thrumming painfully in her chest, and she could feel beads of sweat beginning to dampen her forehead.

_I can't do this. Not right now. Not in front of Adora._

She took a deep breath.

“Sorry, Shadow Weaver,” Catra said coolly, and the shadows receded.

“Adora, walk with me.”

Adora took another step forward as she was addressed, glancing back at Catra after a moment with a concerned furrow of her brow. Catra lowered her chilly gaze, and by the time she looked back again, her friend was jogging off to catch up with Shadow Weaver, leaving Catra alone in the locker room.

She stood there for a few moments, frozen, before sinking slowly to the ground. Gritting her teeth and screwing her eyes shut, Catra sucked in a shaky breath and put her head in her hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will pick up/diverge from canon more in the coming chapters! I just want to give a bit of an intro beforehand.


	2. Force Captain

Eventually, Catra found the strength to stand. Eyes still closed, she leaned back against the wall and took slow, deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She was fine. Everything was fine.

Teeth bared, she spun around and slammed her fist into a locker.

For a moment she looked at it, studied the little dent she'd left in the green metal. Then she turned her back on it and stalked off, hands still balled into tight fists.

The corridor was silent, save for the sound of her footsteps; the rest of her team was resting in the barracks and celebrating a job well done, and she could only assume the other cadets were doing the same. Catra debated taking a nap herself, but quickly decided against it; she was reluctant to deal with her teammates' snark.

Instead, she found herself outside. Catra sprang up onto a thick pipe and sat down, gazing out at the surrounding land with pursed lips. The sky was a dull orange color, and filled with murky-looking clouds. Columns of smoke rose from ducts scattered across the landscape, stinging her nose even from the distance she was at. Below her was an expanse of decrepit buildings tinted a sickly shade of green from the floodlights illuminating the Fright Zone. Even when she squinted, they were all she could see in the distance. She'd heard soldiers discussing what lay beyond after raids on rebel fortresses; they said the land was colorful and the air fresh. Catra found that difficult to picture, but she itched to see it for herself all the same. She and the other cadets her age had been confined to the Fright Zone for their entire lives, and she wanted nothing more than to experience a change of scenery.

A sudden noise interrupted her musings. Catra looked down to see Adora leaning over a balcony, studying something in her hand. For a few seconds she simply sat there, motionless as she studied her friend from above. Lingering bitterness made her heartrate spike, but it wasn't long before she forced herself to calm down once again and let it all wash away. Once she'd regained her composure, Catra rose to a crouch, stalked forward with pricked ears and threw herself down from her perch — careening straight into Adora, who hit the ground with a grunt and she landed on top of her with curiosity written all over her freckled face.

"What'd she say?" The glint of metal caught Catra's eye as she spoke. She glanced at the other's chest to see a small badge pinned to her jacket. "Hey, what's this?" She snatched it and sprang up onto another lower hanging pipe to examine it.

"Hey!" Adora snapped indignantly. "Give it back!"

Catra's eyes lit up as she studied the little symbol decorating the badge. "No way! You've been promoted?" Its meaning was unmistakable: the mark of a Force Captain.

Adora's smile was sheepish, but her pride was evident. "Well, kind of. I mean, yeah, I guess. But it's not a big deal."

"Are you kidding?" Catra said, dropping down to the ground so they were face to face. This meant Adora would be leading the invasion their seniors had been discussing! She grasped her arms, grinning. "That is _awesome!_ We're gonna see the world... and conquer it!"

Finally, they had a chance to get out and experience new things! A purr rose in her throat.

"Adora, I need to blow something up."

A frown crept onto Adora's face. "Um..." she began hesitantly, reluctant to meet Catra's quizzical gaze. "Shadow Weaver says you're not coming."

Her heart sank. " _What?_ My time was just as good as yours today!" She jumped up onto the balcony's railing and looked away. "What is her problem with me?"

"I mean," ventured Adora, "you _are_ kind of disrespectful."

Bristling, Catra turned to her with a curled lip. "Why should _I_ respect _her?_  What's she ever done for me?"

Nothing. No matter how hard she tried and how well she performed, she never managed to impress Shadow Weaver. In fact, her disdain for Catra only seemed to grow with each success. Though she'd grown used to it over the years, Catra's frustration was beginning to fester. She and Adora did everything together; her wins were Adora's, as were her losses. So why did Shadow Weaver only ever focus on Adora's successes and Catra's failures? She clutched the bar beneath her so tightly that her knuckles began to turn white.

Adora stared at her in silence, unable to come up with an answer. Of course.

"I guess it sure must be easy being a people pleaser like you," Catra scoffed.

She didn't give Adora a chance to defend herself before springing up onto the wall. Digging her claws in, she used a protruding piece of metal to pull herself up and climb higher before leaping onto a terrace that hung precariously off the edge of the building. Sighing, Catra seated herself on the railing and stared at the ground far below. The sound of Adora's footsteps filled her ears, but she didn't move.

"Look," said Adora from behind her, "I'm sorry. I didn't even think you wanted to be a Force Captain."

 _That's_ what she thought this was about?

"I don't," Catra groaned. "Here, take your stupid badge." She tossed it carelessly behind her. The absence of a clattering sound told her that Adora had caught it. She pulled her legs closer and rested her chin on her knees.

"Come on, Catra. This is what I have been working for my entire life." Adora paused, and Catra saw her rest her elbows on the railing out of the corner of her eye. "I was hoping you could be, I don't know, happy for me."

Catra looked at her for a moment, her gaze flinty. Then she relented. "Ugh, whatever. It's not like I even care." She was growing tired of arguing again. Why did it feel like they'd been butting heads more and more lately? "I just wanna get out of this dump at some point before I die of boredom." _Or in general._ Her heart skipped a beat at the thought, and that only irritated her further. Gritting her teeth, she leaned back until she was laying down, letting her arms dangle over the edge. Frankly, she was beginning to fear that her wish would never come to pass.

"I wonder what's even outside the Fright Zone, anyway." She scanned the terrain once more with a furrowed brow.

She looked back with pricked ears when a jingling sound suddenly broke the silence. Adora, bearing a smug smile, dangled a dark grey key before her.

"Why don't we go find out?"


	3. The Whispering Woods

"I take it all back!" cried Catra, a grin plastered to her face. "You are officially  _awesome_."

The vehicle was moving fast, and a strong wind blew her hair this way and that as a result. She tilted her head back and let her eyes fall shut, enjoying the sensation; the air was always so still in the Fright Zone. Catra glanced over her shoulder, watching the mass of green buildings grow smaller and smaller. As they whizzed along, she was almost able to forget about their argument, the claustrophobic dump they called home, everything. Almost.

"I can't believe you actually stole a skiff."

"Borrowed," Adora corrected. "Please don't make me regret this."

No promises. "I've always wanted to drive one of these things," she mused, standing up. She had to remain still for a moment to keep her balance, and then she lunged for the tiller, roughly shoving Adora out of the way. "Here, gimme." Eyes wide with glee, she pulled it out a bit to gain speed.

Adora hit the floor roughly, but was quick to jump to her feet. "Whoa, there. Save us enough fuel to get back!" She grabbed ahold of Catra's arm, but she refused to budge.

"That," Catra said, "is a problem for future Adora and Catra."

Adora pushed her, but Catra fought back, lurching her body toward the other to fend her off.

" _I'm_  driving!" Adora snapped.

"I want it!"

They went back and forth for a minute or two, simultanously fighting for the tiller and fighting each other. The skiff began to sway this way and that, threatening to tip over when they both fell over. Adora was about to elbow Catra in the cheek for the second time, but all of a sudden she looked forward abruptly and gasped.

"Catra!" 

The shout, full of new fear, quickly sobered her. She let go of the tiller and followed Adora's gaze as her friend brought the skiff to a sudden stop. They looked up to see large, dark brown masses reaching up from the ground, similar to the massive pillars in the simulation room they often trained in. The area was densely packed with colorful, almost garish matter that she didn't recognize. New, unfamiliar scents hung thick in the air, aromatic and starkly contrasting the metallic, smoggy odors of their home.

"What is it?" Catra asked.

"I think this must be the Whispering Woods," Adora told her. "They say there are strange old monsters in there, and the trees move when you're not looking."

So that's what all those things were — trees. She'd never seen one in person before, but the Whispering Woods was a popular subject with most of the cadets; everyone knew about the legends surrounding it and the unique vegetation that filled it, even if there was nothing of the sort in the Fright Zone. Even so, it wasn't anything like how Catra had pictured it.

It was so much better.

"Every Horde squadron they've sent in there has never come out again."

Catra pondered this for a moment. "Let's go in."

To be completely honest, the prospect of never returning to the Fright Zone didn't sound all too terrible.

"Wait, what?"

Adora looked like she wanted to say more, but instead she cried out in shock as the skiff suddenly sped up again. Catra drove recklessly, weaving in and out of trees with jerky movements. The whole vehicle vibrated as they skimmed a tree trunk.

"Slow down!" Catra pointedly ignored her. "Catra, tree! Tree!" She grabbed the tiller and pulled it upward in a sharp motion.

The skiff ascended, parallel to the biggest tree they'd come across so far, and they both exhaled a sigh of relief. Catra reached for the tiller, but just as she made contact with it, a thick, sturdy vine came into view. Before she knew what was happening, she slammed into it and was pushed backward with a grunt, out of the skiff.

"Catra!" Adora shouted frantically, peering over the edge.

She grew smaller and smaller as Catra plummeted toward the ground. Something struck her in the back, and then everything went black.


	4. The Sword

She awoke with a groan. Slowly, Catra sat up and rubbed her pounding head, waiting for her vision to stop swimming.

"Adora?" she mumbled, looking around blearily. There was no response.

Catra stood up on unsteady legs and turned around, only to narrow her eyes against the sudden light she was met with. It illuminated the hollow she found herself in, tinting everything a shade of pale blue. Before her stood an elegant-looking sword, ensnared and held upright by a mass of thin roots. The blade glinted in the soft light in a mesmerizing fashion.

Thoroughly intrigued, Catra approached it warily, glancing around to make sure this wasn't some sort of trap. She couldn't smell anyone else in the area, nor did she hear footsteps. After a moment, she returned her attention to the sword, studying it in awe. The blade was silver in color, the golden hilt intricately carved. A smooth, aqua blue gemstone sat at the top of the hilt. She could see her reflection in it.

"Whoa," Catra breathed, reaching out to grasp the sword. "Cool."

The second she touched it, there was an explosion of light. It was impossibly bright, radiating from the hilt of the sword. It was all she could see.

_Balance_ _must_ _be_ _restored_ , said a voice. With it came an expanse of stars and planets, and then a vast forest. Then she was looking at a massive, glowing crystal. The sword reappeared, but now it was floating before her. A stone building came next, and then there was a brief moment of darkness.

_Etheria_ _must_ _seek_ _a_ _hero._

All of a sudden, she saw a figure. A young woman. She was facing away, unmoving, but somehow getting closer. A red cape billowed out behind her, as did her impossibly long, blond hair. She turned her head slightly, looking at Catra over her shoulder. The sound of an infant crying filled her ears as she locked eyes with the mysterious girl. Though she only caught a glimpse of her face, there was something... familiar about her.

_Adora_ , the voice said.  _She-Ra_.

"Catra!"

She jolted awake with a gasp. Adora was bent over her, staring at her with immense concern.

"Ugh, what happened?" Catra asked, sitting up with a moan.

"You fell out of the skiff," she told her worriedly.

"Right," said Catra, "after you drove it into a tree."

Adora scoffed. "No,  _you_  drove it into a tree!" she retorted, shoving her away. The world started spinning as she hit the ground again, but there was a smirk on her face despite the dizziness. Sighing, Adora rose to her feet and turned around. "C'mon, we should go. It won't be long before someone realizes we're gone — if they haven't already." She glanced over her shoulder as she spoke, and the eye contact sent a shiver down her spine as the memories of what she'd just seen came crashing back to her.

"Wait," said Catra, jumping to her feet and looking around anxiously. "Where's the sword?"

"What?"

"There was a sword here, and – and I heard a voice when I touched it. I saw..."

She was interrupted by wry laughter. "Uh, you must have hit your head pretty hard," said Adora.

"It was here!" Catra insisted through gritted teeth. "I saw it!"

Adora glanced around, looking unconvinced. "Well there's nothing here now. So come on, let's go home."

She started off in the direction of the skiff, but Catra didn't move. "No, I wanna look for it."

"Come  _on,_  Catra," Adora snapped, grabbing Catra's arm and yanking her along. "Shadow Weaver will kill us if she finds out that we were here."

That was enough to convince her. Grumbling to herself, she jogged after her friend to the skiff and hopped on, letting Adora take control of the tiller (which earned her a look of relief and mild confusion). She sat down with a sigh and fixed her gaze on the floor, her mind whirling.

"I’m telling you," Catra said eventually, "I really found a sword after I fell. It was pretty awesome, actually; it was all glowy, and when I touched it, I heard a voice.”

Adora was quiet for a few seconds, looking thoughtful. “Magic?”

”Yeah, definitely,” Catra agreed.

”Sounds dangerous. It’s probably for the best that you lost it.”

”I dunno,” she said. “I saw some stuff, too, and the voice... I think it said your name.”

Adora quirked a brow. “I think you might’ve hallucinated that, or dreamed it... and the sword. You _did_ fall from a pretty long distance.”

”Shut up. I know what I saw.”

”Sure.” Despite her dismissiveness, Adora looked mildly concerned. “You think we should tell Shadow Weaver about it?”

Catra shook her head. “Nah. She’ll just keep it for herself, and where’s the fun in that?”

”What, you mean _you_ plan on going back for it? ‘Cause _I’m_ not coming out here again. And I don’t think you should, either. For all you know, that sword might belong to a princess. Or what if it’s cursed? I wouldn’t risk it.”

”Yeah, yeah,” said Catra, looking away with a frown. “Whatever.”


	5. Persuasion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick question: do you guys think there should be chapters from Adora's point of view?

Catra found herself lying awake that night. She was curled up at the foot of the bed she and Adora always shared, listening to the sound of her friend's breathing. All she could think about was her vision from earlier that day; the odd voice echoed in her mind, whispering about balance and heroes and... she looked over at her Adora with a furrowed brow. She was laying on her side so her face was out of view, snoring softly.

Was Adora right? _Had_  she just been seeing things after falling too hard?

No. It'd been so vivid —  _too_ vivid to be a daydream. But the idea that a magical weapon was not only able to speak to her, but also that it knew of Adora, was... unsettling, to say the least. That meant whoever it belonged to must know her, right? But that didn't make sense, either; Adora had been raised in the Horde, same as Catra. She shook her head, deciding not to ponder it too much; all of this speculation was making her head hurt.

But she couldn't just sit around and wonder, not when someone else could stumble across it and claim it for themselves at any moment!

Catra sat up suddenly, nearly banging her head on the bunk above her. She crawled over to Adora with a lash of her tail, grabbing her shoulder and giving her a rough shake.

"Adora," she whispered. "Adora! Wake up."

She jerked awake with a gasp, and Catra had to hastily cover her mouth with a hand to prevent her from snapping at her.

"Shh! It's still nighttime," Catra told her quietly.

Adora pushed her hand away with vigor, shooting her a dark glare. "What the hell, Catra?"

"C'mon, we're going back for that sword," she said, grabbing ahold of Adora's wrist and pulling as she stood up.

Adora didn't budge, though. "Ugh, you're _still_ on this?" She broke free of Catra's grasp with a jerk of her arm and sat back against the wall, staring at her through narrowed eyes. "Come on Catra, why can't you just let it go?"

" _You_ come on," Catra shot back. "Don't you realize how great of an opportunity this is? Just think about how impressed Shadow Weaver will be if we manage to survive the Whispering Woods _and_ bring back a cool magical weapon!"

Adora considered this in silence for a few moments, and then she sighed. "Fine. But I still don't think this is a good idea; I just don't want _you_ to get killed out there." Slowly, she stood up and stretched. "Let's go."

 


	6. Skirmish

The longer they trekked through the mysterious woodland, the more worried Catra became. What if they weren't able to find the sword again? What if someone else had already nabbed it? She lashed her tail anxiously, picking up her pace.

Adora jogged along beside her. "I still don't trust this," she said, pushing through the underbrush with a frown. "Are you _sure_ you saw a sword? You know what everyone says about the Whispering Woods; for all we know, its magic could cause hallucinations."

"For the last time," Catra said sharply, "I _know_ the sword is real. It's weird, but I kinda feel a pull or something. Like—" She stopped abruptly, grabbing Adora by the arm and yanking her back.

"Catra, what—" She, too, broke off upon noticing the bright light Catra was pointing to, flooding out from behind a mass of trees.

"Told you it was real," Catra said with a smirk. Adora scowled.

On high alert, the pair followed the light until they emerged in the same hollow Catra had found herself in the day before. And there it was: the sword, propped up by a familiar tangle of roots.

"Oh my god," Adora said, wide-eyed.

Just as they began to approach it, new voices met their ears. Two people, Catra thought. They seemed to be arguing over something. She flexed her claws, and Adora put a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait," she murmured. "They might just be civilians."

The strangers emerged from the undergrowth as she finished speaking. They were an odd-looking pair; a teenage boy and girl, the former donning cropped, gold and white armor and the latter sporting pink, sparkly hair. Her outfit was as outlandish as his: a form-fitting purple romper with a glittery blue cape. Catra had never seen such strange clothing before, and she found herself focusing more on that than the matter at hand.

"It's this way!" snapped the girl. She was looking over her shoulder at her companion, and a gasp escaped her when she finally noticed Catra and Adora standing in the middle of the clearing.

The curious newcomers froze, and for a moment they all stared at each other in stunned silence.

Then, suddenly, the girl shouted, "Horde soldiers!"

"I see them!" cried the boy.

They both began yelling nonsensically, and Catra and Adora exchanged a glance. Then they sprang into action, Adora racing for the sword and Catra darting forward with outstretched claws. The girl was closest, and Catra was nearly upon her when she suddenly disappeared into thin air.

"What the?" Catra skidded to a halt, barely maintaining her balance.

She glanced around wildly, looking back when she heard Adora gasp to see the girl materialize in front of her and grab ahold of the sword. A princess?!

A metallic sound distracted her, and she turned her head to see the boy pointing an arrow at her from a few yards away.

"Bow, catch!" the girl shouted, and then the sword was flying through the air.

The boy — Bow — dropped his bow and arrow with a startled shout and clumsily caught the sword. Then he spun around and ran off. Catra bared her teeth and raced after him, Adora following suit. She glanced over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of her friend running behind her, expression steely despite the chaos. Her calm, focused demeanor was comforting, in a way. But out of nowhere, the princess appeared above Adora with a burst of sparkles and tackled her to the ground with a loud cry.

Catra didn't stop running. Instead, she pushed harder, quickly gaining speed; she was confident that Adora could handle herself against such a puny adversary, magic and all. She was gaining on Bow now and was about to pounce, lips pulled back in a satisfied snarl, but something green suddenly whizzed past her and wrapped itself around Bow's legs, sending him tumbling to the ground. The sword landed a couple of feet away. Catra came to an abrupt halt. _A bolas,_ she noted icily, staring at it with a clenched jaw and balled fists.

"I could'a taken care of—" she began, turning to look at Adora.

"Stand down!" Adora cut in, racing toward them. "We don't want to hurt you!"

Catra dubiously raised a brow, just as the princess teleported in front of the two of them. "Yeah, right," she retorted, throwing Catra a contemptuous glare. Catra flashed her a sneer of her own. "And besides, since when do Horde soldiers not want to hurt anyone?"

She raised a hand as she spoke, and a ball of sparkling light blossomed in her palm. Then she threw it at the ground, and an explosion of bright pink, shimmery radiance sent Catra and Adora stumbling back, the former with a hiss and the latter with a startled cry.

Catra hastily rubbed at her eyes as the light died down, eventually opening them to see the princess starting toward the sword. She lunged at her and bowled her over with a snarl, glancing up briefly to see Adora sprinting for their target, only for Bow to throw himself at her and yank her back with his arms wrapped tightly around her. Catra stood up and moved to help her friend, but a sharp pain stopped her. She whipped around with bared teeth to see the princess clutching her tail as tightly as she could manage. In a quick motion, she pulled and jerked Catra back, eliciting another hiss.

She struggled against the princess, who was quick to jump on top of her in an attempt to pin her down. As she fell to the ground, Catra caught a glimpse of Adora on her knees, reaching desperately for the sword.

A pained cry escaped her as her shin came into contact with a flat rock protruding from the ground, and her leg was pushed further into it as the princess landed on top of her. Catra rolled over, flipping her attacker off of her, but the pain in her leg was beginning to make her feel a little queasy. She heard Adora shout, and glanced up to see a familiar burst of blue light flooding from the sword — Adora's fingertips had made contact with the hilt.

Panting, Catra began to push herself up off the ground, but a sudden surge of pressure emanating from the sword knocked her — and everyone else — back.

She'd reflexively closed her eyes as she fell again, and upon opening them, she saw Adora laying in the grass. She wasn't moving.

Was she experiencing the same thing Catra had the day before?

Grunting, she tried to stand but found her injured leg unable to support her body weight. So instead, she crawled frantically toward the sword and grasped it, bracing herself for something to happen, like last time — another flash of light, a voice filling her ear, _anything_.

But nothing happened.

Catra's reflection stared back at her from the jewel set in the sword's hilt, disappointment written all over her dirt-stained face.

She heard that noise again — an arrow being notched — and suddenly a net encircled her. It was quick to seal itself and tighten, hugging her body and forcing her to the ground. Catra writhed around, fighting to tear her way free, but the pain in her leg and the exhaustion that was beginning to set in were quickly sapping her strength. As she cried out furiously, her heart began to pound and her ears began to ring. Her foes quickly approached, and the last thing she saw was the princess's fist before, once again, unconsciousness stole her away.


End file.
